Himation
"As you can see by this statue of Aphrodite the himation was worn by both male and females in similar fashion. Unlike our culture, the ancient Greeks treated nudity as a common occurrence in society and was associated with beauty and strength. Before you all get excited it was mostly men who walked in the nude so don't expect to see many depictions of nude females in Greek art."
~ Leonidas Pittos
History
The himation is a common article of clothing that was found in ancient Greece that offered protection from the elements yet was light enough to prevent the wearer from overheating. Himations were commonly made with linen or wool as the main fabric. It was commonly worn over the left arm and wrapping around under the right arm. A leather belt or rope would be wrapped around the waist to tighten the fabric to keep it in place. Himations came in many colors to signify the individuals station and/or power. White was worn by all members of society regardless of station, purple was worn by royalty or the wealthy, red was worn by officers of the military, and green was worn by physicians.
In art Aphrodite was seen wearing many different designs of clothing. Though the himation had no particular connection to Aphrodite nor was seen as favored by the Goddess many women who wore a himation would impersonate Her style of wear to honor Her and attempt to garner her blessing.
It is now worn infrequently in modern society. It's most commonly worn as a costume, during a reenactment of prominent historical events, or during a traditional wedding.
Common
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